Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis to visit NYC on June 29

New York: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will visit the New York city next week to invite investment and expertise from the US to his state in various sectors and will meet political and business leaders during the trip, being pegged as 'Mumbai meets Manhattan'.

During the day-long visit on June 29, Fadnavis is expected to meet the Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie as well as other senior political leaders from New York City and neighbouring Connecticut.

Devendra Fadnavis. Pic/PTI

India's Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay told reporters here that given the large population of Indians in the New York-New Jersey area, Fadnavis will hold meetings with the states' leadership and promote the state as an attractive investment destination not only among the diaspora but to a larger American audience.

Mulay said the Chief Minister will have a packed schedule for the day and will meet CEOs of companies from sectors identified as crucial for investment by the state government.

A grand community reception has also been organised for Fadnavis by the Friends of Maharashtra, a not-for-profit group of individuals and partner associations working towards strengthening ties and promoting cooperation between the US and India.

Mulay said given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on the 'Make in India' campaign and the country's ambitions to grow at a fast economic rate, states must also take the lead and contribute actively to the economic development of the country.

"Unless that happens, rapid growth will not take place and benefits of the economic growth will not reach out to small towns and rural areas," he said. Mulay underlined the billions of dollars of investment required in infrastructure development in India, saying that money from with India alone will not be sufficient to meet the development targets.

He stressed that states will have to reach out to "capital destinations" like New York and invite investment and expertise in sectors like trade, education, health, skill development, rural development and tourism.

"We have to see how we can attract capital to India because our needs for infrastructure over the next few years will be billions of dollars and this money will not be available only from within the country," he said.

Earlier this year in February, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had visited the US and had invited industries and entrepreneurs to "Make in Madhya Pradesh", drawing upon the 'Make in India' campaign.